Parents of every newborn to plant a coconut sapling

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The Ministry of Coconut Development has launched a novel project to encourage people grow more coconut trees in the island.

Accordingly, newly-born babies and their mothers are gifted with two quality coconut seedlings free of charge.

The parents have to plant these coconut seedlings in their home gardens.

“It is real dowry for the children and parents never forget the birthday of the child. We hope to distribute 2.5 million coconut seedlings during next two years under this program we target to increase coconut harvest by 20 percent every year and coconut estate owners in the country have been educated adequately on the vital need of using carbonic manure instead of chemical fertilisers.

12500 Small scale coconut estate owners would be educated on the preparation of carbonic manure and the importance of using such manure in coconut plantations, said the Minister of Coconut Development and Janatha Estates Development Jagath Pushpakumara, at a meeting of Coconut Estates owners of the Kurunegala District held at Kurunegala District Secretariat on the 04-04-2014 to educate the coconut growers on the new programs of the government launched this year to promote coconut industry.

Minister said further that 14000 million rupees would be offered to coconut estate owners as subsidies this year to encourage them for proper cultivation of coconuts and 400 new coconut development officers have been appointed to instruct the small scale coconut growers in the country.